First job interview and no hair!!!

I have an interview in a few days. I'm 2/3 of the way through chemo and I have no hair! (I'll be out of a job in 3 months.) I wear hats and scarves to work, because I do not like how I look in a wig. It was a stranger looking back at me in the mirror.

Should I put the wig on for the interview, or wear my head scarf and explain why I'm wearing it? I plan on saying that I was dianogised with cancer, had chemo to give me over an 90% confidence level of being cancer free in 15 years, and that except for treatment days, I have only missed 1 1/2 days of work.

What is better, wear the wig, hopefully they won't wonder why I'm wearing it, or wear what I'm comfortable with and provide a short explanation?

I do not plan on telling them about the radiation until I get the job offer. I can do it during my lunch hour, so it will not impact work.

Thanks you for your input!

2 Comments

Cancer and Careers Staff Comment:

Hi Mel,

I have sent your post to one of our career coaches who will get back to you soon. In the meantime, I wanted to provide you with a couple of resources to contact regarding the legal implications of disclosing your cancer status in a job interview. Generally we recommend people have a sense of the legal issues before they go on any interviews.

Career Coach Comment:

Mel-

You mention you will be out of a job in 3 months. Is it your current position that is being
eliminated or your employment with your current employer? Are you talking about interviewing within the
company or for a new potential employer?
If you are interviewing within the company, then your current health
status may already be known and whether or not to wear a wig shouldn’t be much
of an issue.

Interviewing can be stressful and cause us to be
nervous. So your comfort level is important.

However, I would advise you against sharing your current health
situation in a first interview with any new potential employer, unless you are
asked directly whether you would need accommodations. You want the interview to focus on your
skills, your competencies and your experience – not on your health or current adversity.

If you opt not
to wear the wig, it puts the issue right on the table and could raise the
question of what type of accommodation is needed to do the job.

I remember very well the many months that I wore a wig. I did so because, as you said, one doesn’t
recognize the person staring back at us in the mirror. Even though it felt odd
to me, I reminded myself that in the 70s many of us wore wigs on a daily basis because
it was the fad. It had nothing to do
with whether we had hair or not. Some
people with difficult hair or hair that requires a lot of styling still do wear
wigs, today. So, if they suspect you are wearing a wig, they won’t necessarily
assume you have cancer.

The topic of cancer should not be raised with your potential
employer and you may want to sidestep answering the question if they do ask. Don’t lie. Instead prepare and practice
replies to any such question that could actually be raised. Deflect the
question with a question? An employer cannot legally ask about your health in
an interview.

An employer, particularly one with whom you do not have a
track record, could be concerned about your attendance, your ability to do the
job and your overall performance. The interviewer could have had a bad
experience with a previous employee and may not be willing to take a chance on
you and your health when they have the option of other candidates for the job.
Don’t make it easy for them to screen you out.